Unseen
by Settiai
Summary: [WIP] After suffering a slight head wound, Legolas suffers an unexpected side effect. When Rivendell is threatened with destruction, however, his injury may be the only hope that the elven haven has.
1. There Is Something Out There

Title: Unseen  
  
Author: Settiai 

Disclaimer: "Lord of the Rings" and other related characters are all properties of J.R.R. Tolkien. No infringement is intended. This story, such as it is, was written as a sign of respect and love for the characters, the books, the movies, and their creator. I claim no ownership of the aforementioned books, movies, and characters.

Additional Disclaimer:Please note that when Tolkien says that Aragorn was 'raised in the house of Elrond' after his father's death when he was a child, I (following the footsteps of other terrific authors) have taken that to mean that Elrond was something of an adopted father to his long-distant nephew, Aragorn, and that Elrond's twin sons, Elladan and Elrohir, were something like older brothers to the young ranger. Also, I (still following in the footsteps of the aforementioned other terrific writers) have written Aragorn's mother entirely out of the equation. So, for my intents and purposes, both of Aragorn's parents were killed when he was young.

Another Additional Disclaimer: Any spelling, date, canon, or character errors are the fault of myself only and are completely by accident. I am not, and have never claimed to be, an expert on Tolkien's magical world of Middle Earth. Please forgive any omissions that you might find, but also feel free to point them out to me.

Summary: After suffering a slight head wound, Legolas suffers an unexpected side effect. When Rivendell is threatened with destruction, however, his injury may be the only hope that the elven haven has.

Rating: PG-13

Feedback: Comments and helpful criticisms are **always** appreciated.

E-mail: lynn_foster@settiai.com

**********

Legolas, youngest son of King Thranduil of Mirkwood, let his gaze slowly drift over the small campsite. His friend and traveling companion, the Ranger known as Strider, lay near the remains of their small fire, soundly asleep and unaware of the elven prince's wakefulness. A small smile appeared on the elf's face as he sat still for a moment, staring at the peaceful expression that shone on the young human's face.

The smile swiftly faded away as he once again felt a tremor go up his spine. He had been awakened almost an hour earlier by the slight presence of danger and had yet to slip back into sleep. His silvery blue eyes shined with uncertainty as his gaze once again swept past the campsite and peered into the darkness surrounding them.

They had been traveling for several days now, on their way from his home in the forests of Mirkwood to Rivendell, the elven haven that Aragorn called home. Until this night, there hadn't been even an inkling of danger--which was, now that Legolas thought about it, quite suspicious considering the luck that the two traveling companions seemed to have.

Without warning, the sound of movement coming from where Aragorn had been sleeping suddenly floated over towards him in the cool night air. Mentally berating himself for not noticing that his friend had woken up, Legolas turned his gaze back towards the young Ranger, who had propped himself up so that he wasn't exactly laying on the ground yet he also wasn't sitting up. An uncertain expression was on his face, letting the elven prince know that he had also noticed the slight hint of danger in the air.

The young man raised an eyebrow inquisitively at the elf before slowly and carefully pushing himself up to his feet. Silently, Legolas made his way over to where his friend was standing. He gestured towards the small wooded area directly to the east of them and then spoke in a voice barely more than a whisper. 

"There is something out there. Stay here for a moment."

Without saying another word, the elven prince turned around and made to leave the camp. Before he could, however, Strider's hand had grabbed him by the shoulder. An exasperated look shined in his eyes as he turned back towards the young human, knowing exactly what his friend was going to say. Before even allowing him to speak, Legolas shook his head emphatically. 

"It is better if I go alone. You may be able to move quietly for a human--but you are still not an elf."

Before his friend could say another word, Legolas shrugged out of Aragorn's grasp and disappeared into the darkness. The human stared after him for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh and quickly starting to pack up the camp. Dawn would be there soon, and he knew that they would be breaking camp as soon as Legolas returned. He paused for a moment before heading over to make sure that his weapons were all ready to be used at a moments notice. Just in case.

**********

Legolas' grip tightened on his bow as he crept stealthily towards the voices that he was hearing. It was obvious that they were orcs, but he needed to find out just how many were there. If there were only a few, it would be simple for him to kill them--but if there were many... A grim smile came to his face as he moved closer to the source of the voices.

After a few moments he paused, trying to let his elven hearing make out what they were talking about. He could only hear bits and pieces of their conversation, but what he did hear made his blood run cold. 

"... look... into eyes. The elves... a chance. He will... Rivendell..."

A sudden sound came from behind him, and Legolas spun around in shock. A large orc was standing there, holding a heavy sword up in its hands. The orc sneered at him and swiftly turned the sword so that it's point, looking both sharp and deadly, was aimed right at him. The elven prince didn't even have time to wonder how the creature had managed to sneak up on him before he felt the weight of the sword crash down upon his head, and the point cutting deep into his skull, sending his mind fleeing into the blissful peace of unconsciousness. 

**********

Aragorn felt a shiver go down his spine, and he couldn't help but glance at the direction that Legolas had left in. He hadn't been gone very long, and the human knew that there probably wasn't anything wrong. He still couldn't shake away the uneasy feeling that was settling in the pit of his stomach however. Shooting one more glance into the east, he let out a sigh before looking around the campsite once more.

He knew very well that the elven prince would probably strangle him if he went after him and there was no problem. There was something inside of him, though, that was practically screaming at him for not going after his friend sooner than this. Aragorn knew that it might just be a whim, but he couldn't get the feeling that something was wrong to fade away.

A sudden sound coming from the east made up his mind very quickly. The cry had only lasted for a brief instance, but he had recognized it immediately. Without pausing to even think, he hurried off in the direction that his friend had headed. There were Orcs afoot. 

**********

Legolas' eyes fluttered open slightly, enough for him to see what was happened but not enough for the orcs to notice that he was awake. His head felt heavy, and his thoughts were hazy and unfocused, yet somehow he knew that he must try and listen to what the foul creatures around him were saying.

He let his gaze sweep over them, and he could dimly make out four separate figures standing around him. So, there were only four of them after all. The elven prince felt his mind slipping away, and he quickly forced it to focus in on what the orcs were saying. Their voices seemed to be dim, as if they were coming from far away, yet he could still make out the gist of their conversation.

"What is an elf doing here? Maybe they suspect."

"No, Elrond would have sent more."

"Even if they know, the master will deal with them."

"But if they..."

"Do not worry so much."

"Fine. What will we do with it though?"

Legolas' mind was spinning from trying to understand what they were talking about, but as soon as they spoke the last sentence he quickly pushed all thoughts out of his mind except for pretending to still be unconscious. He knew very well what the orcs were referring to as 'it.'

"The master might have need for it."

"Yes, and it might put us higher in his favor."

One of the orcs suddenly kicked him in the side, and the elven prince couldn't help but let out a startled gasp of pain. As soon as he did, however, he knew that it was a mistake to let them know that he was awake. The largest of the four creatures grabbed him by the hair and forced him to his feet. His already injured head screamed in agony, but he made sure not to let even a bit of pain show on his face.

The orc scowled at him before tossing him back down to the ground. 

"What did you hear, elf?"  


Legolas didn't say a word, but only glared back at the creature defiantly. The orc let out a snarl before once again kicking the elven prince, this time right in his ribs. He bit back a moan as pain echoed through his body, but he didn't say a word to the creature standing above him. After a moment, the orc let out a hoarse laugh before turning towards its companions. 

"Forget the master. This one dies."

Legolas didn't even have a chance to think before he felt the orc's foot connect with him once more. This time, however, it caught him in the head, practically on top of the already bleeding cut that the sword had left. A pained cry left his lips before he could help it, and the elven prince grimaced in pain. Darkness swiftly started to appear at the edges of his vision as he faded once more into unconsciousness.


	2. I Cannot See You

Author's Note: See first chapter for all other story information.

**********

Aragorn quickly sped up his pace the moment that he heard a sharp cry of pain coming from the direction that he was heading. That sound had not came from any orc, he was sure of it. It had been from an elf, and since Legolas was the only elf nearby...

Fear clutched at his heart as the sound of orcs suddenly became cleared and more pronounced. The Ranger knew that Legolas would not have cried out in pain unless he had been hurt fairly badly--it was not in the elven prince's nature. 

Aragorn started as his eyes suddenly caught sight of movement nearby, and he quickly grabbed the sword that was hanging at his side. He came to a stop a few feet from where the orcs were standing, making sure not to come out of the shadows of the trees. The young human hurriedly let his gaze sweep across the scene in front of him. There were only four orcs, meaning he could take them out easily. Where was Legolas though?  


A pain shot through Strider's heart as he suddenly saw the elven prince. He was laying unconscious on the ground, his blond hair matted with thick red blood. The Ranger quickly let his eyes drift over his friend, trying to see what had happened. Almost immediately, he noticed the large cut on the side of Legolas' head. From the angle of the cut, it appeared as if the elf had noticed something behind him and had been turning around when something heavy, and sharp, had struck his head.

After a moment, the human tore his gaze from his friend and turned his attention back towards the orcs. Aragorn felt his blood turn to ice when he finally was able to see exactly what they were doing. It was quite apparent that they were getting ready to kill something, and considering the fact that Legolas was the only prisoner that they had...

Without pausing, the Ranger quickly put his sword back to his side and grabbed the bow that was strung over his shoulder. At a speed that would have been impossible for most humans, he shot two arrows just moments after each other. Both of them found their targets, and two of the four orcs dropped to the ground. 

Dropping his bow, Aragorn grabbed his sword and jumped out into the open. Within seconds, another one of the orcs was dead. The sound running echoed in the human's ears as he turned and prepared to dash after the fourth orc, which had turned and run the moment it had seen the human jump from the shadows. A quiet moan coming from where Legolas lay, however, pushed the thought of pursuit of the Ranger's mind. Shooting one more look in the direction, he quickly hurried over to where his friend lay.

Quickly, yet carefully, he ran his hands over the elf's body, trying to make sure that there wasn't any unseen damage. Though he didn't feel any broken bones, it was obvious that there was some bruising from the way Legolas flinched slightly. Letting out a quiet sigh of relief for that, Aragorn slowly moved his attention to the cut on the prince's head. It didn't seem to be too serious, but with head injuries you could never be certain.

With a swift glance around, he considered leaving the elf prince there until he could bandage the wound on his head, since he knew that it might be dangerous to move him. After just a moment, though, Strider pushed that thought from his mind. Orcs never traveled in such small groups, and it was more than like that the one that had gotten away had went to get reinforcements. No, they needed to at least get back to their camp.

Aragorn gently placed his arms under his friend and carefully picked him up. Trying his best not to jar the unconscious elf too much, the human moved as quickly as he dared back towards their campsite.

**********

The Ranger gave a relieved sigh as he finished wrapping the bandage around his friend's head. The wound didn't seem to be too bad, though it was a little deeper than he would have liked. Smiling gently, he reached over and squeezed Legolas' shoulder just a bit before standing up and moving over to finish packing some of their supplies.

A few minutes later, the smile on his face faded quite a bit. Cries from orcs were sounding in the distance, and they appeared to be moving in their direction. He shot a quick look into the sky, and couldn't help but grimace a little when he realized that there was still at least an hour before the sun rose enough to keep the orcs at bay.

Aragorn shot a worried look over at Legolas, wondering if he should risk moving his friend while he was still unconscious. His decision was quickly made up for him as the cry of an orc suddenly sounded quite nearby. Shooting one more worried look around him, Aragorn quickly wrapped up the rest of their supplies and placed them on the elf's horse. Then he carefully picked up his friend once more and placed the elven prince on his on own horse.

He carefully swung up onto the horse, placing one of his arms protectively around Legolas as the horse started moving in the direction of Rivendell. Before they had gone far, Strider gave a swift glance over his shoulder, making sure that the prince's horse was following its master. As soon as he saw that it was, the young Ranger turned his attention back to what lay before him.

**********

Legolas' head felt like it was on fire, and he couldn't help but let out a quiet moan of pain. Why was his head hurting so much? He knew that there was something that he needed to remember, something that was just on the edge of his memory. What was it though? Why couldn't he remember?  


He shook his head in slight annoyance but regretted it almost immediately. Waves of pain seemed to roll through his brain, and he thought for a moment that he was going to collapse. Was he standing though? No. No, he didn't think that he was.

Another wave of pain shot through his head, and he suddenly realized that everything around him was dark. Why was it dark? A sudden memory flashed through his mind, and with a start he remembered something crashing into his head. Was he still unconscious? Yes, but not fully.

Carefully, he tried to force his eyes to open. They felt heavy, so heavy that he wasn't sure that he could open them. Maybe it would better to just stay here, in the dark. Yes, that would be better than trying to open his eyes. So heavy. 

"Legolas?"

The voice sounded faint, as if it were coming from miles and miles away. It seemed so familiar though. Why did it seem so familiar? 

"Legolas? Are you awake?"  


Why wouldn't it leave him alone? Did whoever the voice belonged to not understand that he wanted to stay here, in the quiet dark? 

"Come on Legolas, you need to open your eyes."  


The voice was starting to sound worried, so worried. And familiar. Why was the voice so familiar? The elven prince tried to make his tired mind focus in on the voice, tried to remember who it belonged to. Without warning, the face of a man suddenly appeared in front of him. Aragorn. Strider. Estel.

With a start, Legolas remembered what had happened. They had been at the camp, and then there had been... What had there been? Orcs. Yes orcs. He had slipped up on them, had heard them talking. Talking about what though? One of them had crept up behind him and had hit him in the head. What happened next though? Everything was blurry. He couldn't seem to get his mind to focus... 

"Legolas!"  


The voice, Aragorn's voice, was starting to sound almost panicked now. Maybe he should try and open his eyes again. But it was so comforting here, in the dark... 

"Legolas, can you here me? Legolas!"  


No, he needed to wake up. Strider was worried about him, and he didn't want to unintentionally cause his friend pain. Once again, Legolas focused him mind on trying to force his eyes to open. This time, they didn't seem to be nearly as heavy. He could feel them opening, and then he heard Aragorn's voice again. 

"Legolas... Can you hear me? Do you remember what happened?"

The elven prince was startled to find that he was laying on the ground, and it took him a moment to get his bearings. Then he slowly blinked a few times before answering the question. Even to his own ears, the voice that came from him seemed to be frail and weak. 

"Yes, yes I can hear you. And yes, I think that I remember what happened. There were orcs..."

His voice trailed off as he blinked a few times and carefully pulled himself up into a sitting position. Legolas could feel Aragorn's arms on his shoulders, supporting him. He slowly spun his head around, a slight feeling of panic slowly building inside of him. 

Aragorn's voice was quiet and worried as he watched his friend's distress. 

"Legolas, what is it? Is there something wrong?"

The elven prince turned towards him, but his silvery blue eyes didn't focus on his friend's face. There was a look on his face unlike anything that Aragorn had ever seen. The elven prince took a few shallow breaths before answering the young Ranger's question. 

"Yes, I believe that there is something wrong."  


Legolas let his gaze drift around him for a few seconds, hoping against hope that he was wrong. That it was just in his mind. After a few moments, though, it seemed that he was only fooling himself. 

"I cannot see you." 


	3. What If Lord Elrond Is Not Able To Help ...

Author's Note: See first chapter for all other story information.

**********

Aragorn gently wrapped a clean cloth around his friend's head before leaning backwards onto his heels with a sigh. He had checked the wound again, hoping to find out exactly what was causing Legolas not to be able to see, but he had found nothing that seemed to be a plausible explanation. 

"Well?"

He paused for a moment at the elven prince's earnest question, trying to find a way to word what he had found--or, more precisely, what he hadn't found. 

"I really do not know what is wrong, Legolas. The only possibility that I can think of is that the blow to your head might have... damaged something."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Aragorn knew that he should have worded them differently. A pained look shined in the elf's sightless eyes for a moment before he closed them tightly. After a moment, the elven prince reopened his eyes and looked in the Ranger's general direction. A weak smile slowly came to his face. 

"Just my luck."

Strider grinned slightly before pulling himself to his feet. He walked over to where Legolas was sitting and gently placed him arm on the elf's shoulder. 

"Come on then, we better be going. If we hurry, we should be able to reach Rivendell in a few more days. If anyone can help you, it will be my father."

Legolas nodded his head slowly, trying not to grimace as pain shot through it. Accepting the hand that Aragorn held out for him, the elven prince carefully pulled himself to his feet. He paused for a moment, a sudden thought coming into his mind, and--using his hearing to find his friend's position--cocked his head. The Ranger let out a gentle laugh before laying his hand on the elf's arm. 

"Maybe you should ride with me."

**********

Legolas stared at the campfire, or--more precisely--stared in the direction that the crackling sound of flames was coming from. He could hear Aragorn moving around the campsite, making sure that everything was secure for the night. It had been three days since they had run into the orcs, and his sight had yet to return.

The elven prince felt a tremor of pain go through his head, and he quickly held back the grimace that threatened to mar his face. The cut on his head wasn't healing as well as Aragorn had expected, and the Ranger was already worrying about him. The last thing that he wanted was to give his friend another reason to pity him.

The sound of footsteps came up behind him, and Legolas felt a slight movement of air as Strider sat down beside him. Trying not to move his head too quickly, the elf gently turned his gaze to the right so that he would at least appear to be looking at his friend. He couldn't see it, but he knew that the young man sitting beside him was smiling.

They sat there for a moment, neither of them sure of what to say. Over the last several days, both of them had been unusually silent--and they were both sick of it. Finally, after quite a few uncomfortably hushed moments, Legolas' quiet voice seemed curiously loud. 

"What if Lord Elrond is not able to help me?"

**********

Aragorn looked over at his friend, an uncertain expression on his young face. He had wondered what Legolas had been think about the last few days and had come up for an answer to almost every question that the elven prince could have. Except for this one, of course.

He didn't say a word, but instead silently studied Legolas' face. He knew that the elven prince was millennia older than him, but at times it was hard for him to truly comprehend that. This was one of those times. The elf's youthful face, usually full of laughter and mirth seemed, at the moment, to show his true age. There were shadows under his unseeing eyes, and it was obvious to the Ranger that his friend hadn't slept the last several nights.

There wasn't an answer to Legolas' question, he figured to himself several moments later. Not one that he could answer, at least. The last several nights, that same question had came into Aragorn's own thoughts--so if he couldn't find an answer for himself, how could he find one for his friend?

Aragorn started slightly as Legolas let out a quiet laugh. The young man turned to his companion, unsure of what he would see. A quiet sigh of relief, however, passed from his lips as he saw a brief flash of amusement pass across the elf's face. At the sound of his sigh, Legolas let out another quiet chuckle. Finally, the Ranger let out another sigh--this time one of annoyance--before turning towards his friend. 

"And what, might I ask, is so amusing?"

There was a twinkle in Legolas' eyes that had been absent for the last several days. 

"I am sorry my friend, I was just picturing the look that was on your face. One that appears quite annoyed, I assume."  


Aragorn let out a quiet snort of indignation, but it obvious to Legolas that his friend wasn't very upset. For a moment, it was almost as if there was nothing wrong. The moment faded away, however, as Strider turned to look closely at his friend. 

"You have not been sleeping."  


It was obvious from the sound of his voice that it was a statement and not a question. The smile on Legolas' face faded slightly as he turned his head away from the Ranger. 

"It is... uncomfortable. Even when elves sleep, we can still... see. But at the moment..."

His voice trailed off, and Aragorn couldn't help but stare at him for a moment. The uncertain look once again appeared in the young man's eyes, and he just gazed at his friend for a moment. After several minutes, a hesitant smile came to his face. 

"Then sleep with your eyes closed, as you do when you are exhausted." 

He paused for a moment before continuing. 

"Which, if you do not get some sleep, you will actually become quite soon."

Legolas looked over at him for a minute, an unreadable expression on his face. The elven prince knew very well just how uncomfortable it made Aragorn when he slept with his eyes closed, yet he was telling him to do just that. After several moments, he nodded his head in agreement.

********** 

Aragorn sat there in silence, gazing at his friend's uneasy sleep. Watching the elven prince lay there asleep, his eyes closed tight, unnerved the young man more than he wanted to say. Even though he knew that some elves did close their eyes while asleep, he knew that he would never be used to seeing it. Not after having grown up in Rivendell.

As he sat there, watching his friend, he let his mind drift back to the conversation that had occurred earlier. Without warning, the question that Legolas had asked earlier suddenly sprang back into his thoughts. _What if Lord Elrond is not able to help me? _

The young man's expression swiftly faded into one of deep concern as he analyzed the question in his own mind. Yes, what if his father was not able to help Legolas regain his sight? What would happen to the prince then?

His mind troubled even more greatly, the young man sat silently, his eyes focused on the dying embers of the fire. He didn't want to think about it--didn't even want to consider the possibility. Aragorn couldn't help but let it wander into his mind though. What would happen if his friend's blindness was permanent? 


	4. They Must Heal On Their Own

Author's Note: See first chapter for all other story information.

**********

Every time that Aragorn's horse moved, a fresh wave of pain shot through Legolas' aching head. His face twisted into a slight grimace for just a moment, and he struggled to stifle the moan of agony that threatened to burst from his lips. The cut on his head didn't seem to be healing nearly as quickly as it should, yet there didn't seem to be any logical explanation as to why--and until one showed itself, the elven prince had decided not to let his human friend know just how much he was hurting. Apparently, he wasn't succeeding very well. 

"Legolas?"

The Ranger's voice was quiet and calm, yet there was the unmistakable sound of worry in his words. His hand squeezed the elf's shoulder gently, and Legolas could almost see the human's gaze focusing on him. 

"The cut on your head is hurting you again."

To almost anyone else--elven, human, or otherwise--Aragorn's words would have seemed as a question; however, Legolas had known Strider long enough to understand that it was in actuality an accusing statement, meant to let him know that his friend wasn't pleased with his trying to hide his pain. For a moment, the elven prince wasn't sure exactly how to reply to his friend's words--those both spoken and unspoken. After several seconds, the elven prince decided to take the easiest way out--to just ignore the Ranger.

After it had become apparent to Aragorn that his elven friend wasn't going to say anything, he gave Legolas an annoyed glare and rolled his eyes upwards. Almost immediately afterwards, however, a pang of guilt suddenly swept through him. Under any other circumstances, their exchange would have been nothing more than friendly banter, but now... He let out a quiet sigh and let his gaze drift off into the distance. 

"We should reach Rivendell within the hour."

**********

Legolas felt lightheaded, and the cut on the side of his head felt like it was on fire. His head was screaming for the horse to stop moving, or maybe even for him to let Aragorn understand how much pain he was in. His pride, however, forced him to keep his mouth closed. For a moment, he closed his unseeing eyes tightly--trying to clear his aching mind enough for him to think.

His eyes suddenly shot open, and his hands gripped the horse's mane tightly. Doing his best not to let Strider hear pain in his voice, he broke the eerie silence that had settled over them earlier that day. 

"There is something coming."

Immediately Aragorn reined in his horse and swiftly let his gaze sweep over the surrounding area. When he didn't see anything, he looked back at Legolas with an uncertain look on his face. 

"Are you sure? I do not see a thing."

The elven prince let out a sigh at the doubtful tone in his companion's voice. 

"My eyes might fail me at the moment, my friend, but my ears do not."

Strider gave Legolas one more doubtful look before peering around once more. 

"If you say so, then I believe you. However, I still do not see anything..."

The young human's voice trailed off, and Legolas automatically started to turn his head around so that he could see the expression on his friend's face. He caught himself, however, as the sudden movement sent another wave of throbbing pain through his skull. Trying to hold back a pained gasp, the elf once again spoke. 

"Well?"  


Aragorn turned his attention back to his friend and couldn't help but start just a bit as he noticed how pale Legolas had gotten. His eyes quickly darted to the bandage wrapped around the elf's head, and he was startled to see a bright red stain on the cloth, right where it covered the wound left by the orc's sword. Before he could contemplate why the injury was once again bleeding freely though, Legolas' voice rang out again--sounding weaker that just a few moments earlier. 

"What is it?"

The young Ranger placed a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder before letting out a quiet laugh. 

"My brothers."

**********

As soon as the horse started moving again, Legolas couldn't help but let out a low moan of pain. He started as one of Aragorn's arms grasped him firmly to help him stay steady. He hadn't even realized that he had been swaying slightly.

Within moments, Legolas heard the voices of Elladan and Elrohir--the twin sons of Elrond--and a brief smile came to his face as he realized that they must be near the elven haven which their father ruled over. The smile quickly faded, however, as he realized that their familiar voices seemed strangely quiet--as if they were coming from far away. So far away...

**********

Elladan let out a sigh as he watched Legolas slump forwards in unconsciousness. His eyes quickly darted to the bloody cloth wrapped around the prince's head and then back to his adopted brother. 

"Tell me Estel, do you think that there will ever be a time that **both **of you will be able to ride into Rivendell without being injured?"

Aragorn gave the older twin a wry grin before shrugging his shoulders helplessly. "What can I say, we are both bad influences on each other."

The young Ranger looked down at his unconscious friend for a moment, and a helpless look slowly appeared on his young face. After a moment, however, it quickly melted away, and he looked over at the two elves. 

"I need one of you to ride back to Rivendell and tell Ada that we will need his help." 

He paused for a moment, his mind drifting back to the conversation that he and Legolas had shared several days earlier. _What if Lord Elrond is not able to help me? _He quickly forced the memory from his mind, and a grim look slowly appeared in his eyes as he turned away from them for a moment. 

"Tell him that Legolas is hurt. Badly."

Elladan and Elrohir both stared at their brother for a moment, uncertainty shining on both their faces. When Estel turned back towards them, though, the look in his eyes set them into motion. Sharing a quick glance, Elrohir turned his horse around and, within seconds, was hurrying away in the direction of Rivendell.

**********

By the time that Elladan, Aragorn, and Legolas reached their destination, Elrond himself was waiting for them. The twins quickly, yet carefully, pulled the unconscious prince off of Estel's horse and managed to get him safely inside, with their brother and father hurrying close behind them.

The twins carefully laid Legolas onto the bed, before quickly moving out of the way so that their father could heal the wounded prince. Aragorn stood in the doorway, watching them through weary eyes. He hadn't realized just how tired he was, not until that very moment...

Aragorn's eyes shot open as he felt two strong arms grab him, and he immediately realized that he must have fallen asleep while he was leaning against the door. A sheepish look came to his face as he looked up, expecting to see on of his brothers keeping him from falling flat on his face. His eyes widened a bit, however, when he found himself staring at his father.

There was a slightly amused look in Elrond's eyes as he looked at the young human that he called his son. It faded slightly, though, when the sound of quiet laughter suddenly came from behind him. Putting an annoyed expression on his face, he turned towards his two sons and gave them a stern look. After a moment, however, he turned back towards the young human standing in front of him. 

"I think that you should go to sleep, Estel. But not while you are standing up."

Aragorn have him a tired grin, but it was swiftly replaced with a worried one as he turned towards the bed. 

"Legolas..."

Elrond smiled gently at his son before turning his own gaze to the sleeping prince. 

"Do not worry, Estel, he will be fine. The cut on his head was deep, but it was not much trouble for me to heal." 

He paused and gave the young human a quick look. 

"Though I would like to hear how he got the injury."

Aragorn shook his head, obviously not having heard his adopted father's words. 

"No, you do not understand. He... Something happened, and he has not..."

He could see the worried look on Elrond's face as he struggled to force his tired mind to explain what had happened. 

"The wound to his head... It... Legolas has not been able to see for the last several days."

**********

Legolas lay still for a moment, listening to the sound of Aragorn's heavy breathing near him. He knew that he was in Rivendell, laying injured in one of the haven's many rooms. The cut on his head still ached, but it was only faint, meaning that Lord Elrond had already helped to heal him. Meaning that, if the elven lord had been able to restore his eyesight, all Legolas had to do was open his eyes.

A shiver ran down the prince's back, and he took a deep breath as he slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position. Then, silently offering up a prayer, he carefully opened his eyes and found himself staring at... darkness. Nothing but the utter darkness of blindness.

A pained sigh escaped Legolas' lips as he let himself collapse back onto the bed, his unseeing eyes filled with a look of utter helplessness. Without warning, the sound of voices nearby suddenly reached his ears, and the elven prince was able to make out some of the words being spoken. It was apparently Elrond and one of the twins...

"Is there nothing you can do to help him, Ada?"

"I am afraid not."  


"There has to be something that you can do to help Legolas..."

"His blindness was somehow triggered by the head injury that he received. It is beyond my ability to heal."

"But..."

"There is nothing I can do. If his eyes are to be mended, they must heal on their own."

Legolas felt his blood turn to ice at Elrond's words. The elven lord couldn't return his sight to him. He wasn't going to be able to help him. His own words suddenly came back to him, the question that he had asked Aragorn days earlier. _What if Lord Elrond is not able to help me?_ It appeared as if he was going to have to find out.


	5. I Am Not Helpless!

Author's Note: See first chapter for all other story information.

**********

From the balcony where he was standing, Aragorn could see the whole of Rivendell spread out around him. The view usually had a calming effect on his mind, but at the moment it didn't appear to be working. Instead of bringing a sense of peace to him, the scene was only succeeding in making him even more depressed. What right did he, a mortal, have to be able to see the beauty of Imladris, while Legolas, and immortal elf, could not? 

"It does not seem fair."  


The young man jumped slightly as a hand gently laid itself on his should, and a quiet voice came from behind him. 

"Many things in life are not fair, Estel."

Aragorn let out a quiet sigh as he turned his head towards Elrond. 

"I know that, Ada. But still... What if his eyesight does not return on its own?"

The Lord of Rivendell slowly pulled his hand from the young man's should and proceeded to carefully stare at his adopted son. Aragorn's eyes were shining with a million different emotions, and there was an aged look in them that had only recently appeared. For a moment, they almost appeared to belong to an elf--and not be those of a young human who had only just stepped into adulthood. Was it really Legolas' injury that had changed him so much?

Almost as if he could read his adopted father's mind, Aragorn let his eyes drift upwards so that he was staring into Elrond's own. His voice cracking slightly with emotion, he once again repeated his question. 

"What if his eyesight does not return on its own?"

Elrond stood there silently for a moment, his eyes moving away from the young human and slowly drifting across the view of Imladris. After several minutes, Aragorn let out a sigh and started to move away--obviously certain that he was not going to get an answer. Before he had a chance to leave the balcony, however, a soft elven voice suddenly answered his question. 

"If that occurs, I do not know what will happen."

A small sigh escaped the young man's lips as he once again turned to face the only father that he had known. 

"That is what worries me, Ada."

Without saying a word, the Lord of Imladris walked over to his human son and laid a reassuring hand on Aragorn's shoulder. They looked into each other's eyes, neither of them able to find the right words yet both understanding completely what the other wanted to say. After a moment, their gaze broke and both of them once again let their eyes drift over the beautiful land spread out around them. They stood that way for quite a while, until the sound of shattering glass filled the night air.

At the sound, Aragorn's head spun around so that it was looking in the direction of Legolas' room. He quickly shot an apologetic look at Elrond before turning and dashing back inside. The elven lord watched him for a moment, a thoughtful look on his face, before slowly walking away.

**********

Elladan let out a loud sigh as he dropped down into a chair near his brother. His usually calm face was sporting a look of confusion, and--if the situation had been different - Elrohir knew that he probably would have burst into laughter. The younger twin held his humor in check, however, since he knew that whatever was wrong with his brother somehow involved Legolas.

Letting out a quiet sigh of his own, Elrohir turned towards his brother and raised his eyebrow as if to ask what had happened. Elladan merely let out another sigh and sank lower into his chair. Several moments of silence passed before the younger brother groaned and looked his brother right in the eye. 

"What did Legolas say?"  


Elladan lowered his eyes for a moment as he tried to think of what to say. After a moment or two, however, he raised them once again and looked into those of his twin brother. "He wants us to send word to his father that he arrived safely--and not to mention anything about his injury... or his blindness."

Without meaning to, Elrohir's eyebrows once again rose as he stared at his brother. Before he could stop it, a single word sprang from his lips. 

"Why?"

Elladan gave his younger brother a quick look before once again letting his gaze drift away from the other elf's face. This time, though, he didn't look back at him to answer. 

"I asked him that, and he said that he did not want to worry King Thranduil unnecessarily if his condition is only temporary."

Elrohir gave a small nod of understanding before closing his eyes for a moment. After a few seconds, he reopened them and once again glanced over at his brother. 

"And what if it is permanent, Elladan?"

The older brother shrugged his shoulders slightly as his eyes slowly focused on his brother. 

"I asked them that as well. He did not answer, but instead, he merely became quiet."

The two brothers shared a slightly uneasy look before turning their gazes away from each other and merely staring at the bright fire shining in the fireplace. They sat there in silence for a few minutes, before the peace was broken by the harsh sound of breaking glass.

Elladan and Elrohir shared a startled look before they both jumped to their feet. Without saying a word to the other, the twin brothers both started towards the room that the prince of Mirkwood was in.

**********

Legolas let out a quiet moan as he slowly pulled himself up into a sitting position. Even though it had been several days since Elrond had healed him, his head still throbbed with pain every now and then. He wasn't going to let that get the better of him though. Forcing the pain to the back of his mind, the elven prince carefully pushed himself off of the bed onto his feet.

His eyesight was going to return, he felt it in the bottom of his heart. Staying in bed waiting for it to come back, however, was not going to help him much. Therefore, he had decided to try and at least find his way throughout the room that he was in. He had stayed in this room various times before, and he knew it rather well--meaning that he should probably know where everything was.

Taking a deep breath, the elven prince slowly forced his feet to move in the direction of the small table that he knew was near far wall. He could at least pour himself a glass of water. There was nothing to this--all he had to do was use his memory to find his way back to the... 

Without warning, the small table was suddenly right in front of him. The table shook violently as he bumped into it, and the pitcher of water that had been laying on it fell of with a loud crash that sounded of glass shattering. Legolas felt his feet slide out from under him, and before he knew what was happening, he found himself sitting on the ground beside the remains of the pitcher.

Legolas muttered several curses under his breath as he groped around for the larger pieces of the pitcher, obviously unnerved by the helplessness that he seemed to be possessor of at the moment. His doubts were quickly proven true as his hand brushed against a long, sharp piece of glass--which sliced through his palm with ease.

Holding back a cry, he let the glass shards that he was holding drop back to the floor and quickly applied pressure to his bleeding hand. An angry sigh escaped his lips as he once again pushed himself to his feet, being careful not to step on any of the glass spread around his feet. 

Almost immediately his elven hearing picked up the sounds of footsteps hurriedly heading his way. Apparently the sound of glass breaking had caught the attention of his friends. Within seconds, the door to the room he was in burst open and the sound of Aragorn's worried voice made it's way towards him. 

"Legolas, what happened!?"  


The elven prince turned towards the door, an expression on his face that he hoped appeared calming. 

"Nothing happened, Aragorn. I merely..."

His explanation was cut short as both Elladan and Elrohir made their way into the room, their voices filled with concern as they looked around the room. 

"We heard a crash! ... Is Legolas hurt?"

Legolas let out a loud sigh and carefully made his way over to where the human and two elves were standing. 

"As I was saying, I merely knocked the water pitcher off of the table while I was trying to pour..."

"What were you doing out of bed in the first place!?"  


"Are you crazy, Legolas!? What did you think you were doing!?"

"You remember that you are hurt, do you not?"

"If you wanted water, all you had to do was call for one of us!"  


"Is that blood on your hand? Let me see..."

Their voices seemed to be pressing close to him as their owners gathered around him. Legolas felt one of them grab his bleeding hand and inspect it closely, despite his protests that it was barely more than a scratch. Their voices sounded almost as if they were scolding a young child who had misbehaved, and--even though he fought it--the blond-haired elf felt his temper rising. 

"I am not helpless!"

He felt Aragorn place a reassuring hand on his shoulder and heard the young human's quiet answer to his words. 

"We do not think that you are helpless Legolas, but we do think that you need more help that you want to admit. Like it or not, you are going to need some... aid... to be able to..."

Without even allowing his friend to finish speaking, Legolas pulled away from him and headed towards the door. Even though he couldn't see it, the elven prince could feel the slight breeze coming from the hallway on the other side of it, and he made his way through it without problem. 

He could hear Aragorn, Elladan, and Elrohir calling his name, but he didn't slow his pace as he unsteadily made his way down the hallway. Why could they not just leave him alone?

**********

Aragorn watched in surprise as Legolas pulled away from him and headed out of the room, stumbling slightly as he tried to find his way without sight. After several seconds of shocked silence, he let his voice mingle in with those of his adopted brothers. 

"Legolas!"

There was no reply from the elven prince, and out of the corner of his eyes Aragorn saw Elladan suddenly make as if to follow Legolas. The young human quickly stepped in front of his elven brother and shook his head. 

"No, let him go."

Without saying another word, Estel started out the door, heading in the same direction that his friend had. Elladan stared in shock for a moment before starting after them. Once again he was stopped, however, this time by his brother's hand being placed firmly on his shoulder. Turning around in surprise, he found himself looking in Elrohir's resolute gaze. 

"Let them be alone."

**********

Aragorn stood quietly, his gaze focused in on the elven prince who was standing on the same balcony where he and Elrond had been just minutes earlier. Even though he could not see Rivendell spread out before him, Legolas was moving his head around as if he could. A warm breeze blew through his blond hair, and there was a look of peace on his face that hadn't been there for almost a week.

After he had been standing there for a few minutes, Legolas slowly turned his head towards where he was standing. 

"I know that you are there, Estel. There is nothing wrong with my hearing."

A wry grin came to the young man's face as he slowly walked towards his friend. 

"You really are in no position to be threatening me, Legolas."  


Legolas rolled his eyes ever so slightly before turning his unseeing eyes once more away from his friend. He let his gaze drift over Imladris, a look on his face that showed that he hoped for nothing more than to catch one glimpse of the haven's beauty. When no such miracle occurred though, he turned back towards Aragorn. 

"I truly am helpless, my friend."

The human stared at him for a moment, a startled look shining in his young eyes. After what seemed like ages, he once again found his voice. 

"You truly do not believe that, do you?"  


When Legolas didn't answer, Aragorn let out a sigh and moved towards his friend. Once again he placed a hand on the elf's shoulder, but this time Legolas did not flinch away. 

"Just because you cannot see at the moment does not mean that you are helpless. As you pointed out just moments ago, your hearing has not been effected in least bit. And neither have your other abilities. Even without your sight, you are still more than a match for the likes of me."  


A small grin appeared on Legolas' face as he turned towards his friend. 

"That, my friend, is not saying much."

The elven prince ducked as Aragorn tried to cuff his ears, and couldn't help but let a surprised look come to his face as he heard the human's amused laugh. 

"Do you not see what I mean? Even though you could not see me, you were still able to hear me and move out of the way."

Legolas stood still for a moment, pondering what his young friend had just said. After a moment, he let a wistful smile come to his face. 

"You are right, Estel."

Aragorn smiled gently as he caught sight of the expression on the elf's face. Quietly, he finished Legolas' unspoken statement. 

"But you still think that you will be weak if you cannot see."

When the elven prince didn't say anything, an understanding look came to Aragorn's face. He gave Legolas' shoulder a reassuring squeeze before letting go and starting to walk away. As he reached the edge of the balcony, he turned and looked back at Legolas for a moment. 

"If your own eyes will not let you see, then let me be your eyes."

As soon as the words left his lips, Aragorn stepped back inside and was gone. He didn't hear the sound of a muffled sob that escaped Legolas' lips, nor did he see the single tear that made its way down the elven prince's face.


	6. This Is Hopeless

Author's Note: See first chapter for all other story information.

**********

Legolas smiled grimly as his hands gripped the bow much more tightly than was needed. He had been using a bow for thousands of years, so he should not have any trouble with this. No, none at all. Not this time. That was what he kept repeating to himself, at least.

The elven prince let out a quiet sigh as his mind wandered backwards, trying to figure out exactly why he was out here making a fool of himself. It had been over a month since he had suffered the injury to his head, and his sight had yet to return. As each day passed, Legolas knew that it became more and more unlikely that he would regain his sight , and he was starting to become disheartened. Which, obviously, had been noticed.

"The target is about... one hundred yards away, right in front of you. No. You need to lower your bow just a bit... Yes, right... No, that was too much. Up just a little... Yes, that is just... No. You need to aim just a little over to the left, just a little more... Stop. Aim right there."

Legolas felt a slight twinge of annoyance as he listened to, and followed, Aragorn's directions. Even though he knew that he would not be able to do this on his own, his pride still stung a bit at being told how to shoot his bow by a human--even if it was Estel. Still, there truly was nothing he could do about it. Earlier in the day, the young human had decided that he needed to do something to take his friend's mind off of his condition, and--unexplainably--had decided that a little archery practice would do just that.

Of course Legolas had told him "no." That was one of the last things that he wanted to do. Unfortunately for him, however, his young friend was much smarter than he had given him credit for. Aragorn had been almost certain from the start that the elven prince would refuse his idea, so he had come up with another plan--one that was much more likely to work than his original.

The human had gone to his adopted brothers with the idea.

The prince of Mirkwood let a brief smirk come to his face as he remembered how Elladan and Elrohir had 'persuaded' him to go along with the idea. Knowing the two of them, they might still follow through with a few of their threats--even though he had agreed to come along with Aragorn... 

"Legolas, are you paying attention?"  


Legolas quickly brought his attention back to the present and, without another thought, let the arrow in his bow fly. He stood still for a moment, his blond hair blowing in the slight breeze as he listened to the arrow cut through the air. After several seconds, however, there was a muffled sound and the whistling of the arrow stopped. 

The elven prince quietly let out the breath that he had been holding. No matter how much he wanted to pretend that he didn't care, the elf couldn't help but let a slightly hopeful look come to his face as he turned in Aragorn's direction.

As the seconds ticked by without his friend saying anything, a downcast expression slowly appeared on Legolas' face. Letting out another sigh, he let his bow drop dejectedly to his side. 

"Did I even come close this time?"

Legolas heard the sound of footsteps heading towards him, and he made sure not to flinch as he felt Estel place a reassuring hand on his shoulder. 

"You truly were not that far from the target this time, my friend. Maybe if you try just once more, than..."  


The elf shrugged away from his friend's grip and let out another sigh, this one sounding both tired and depressed. 

"You have been saying the same thing for almost an hour, Aragorn. Why must you try to fool yourself? It is obvious to both of us that this is hopeless." 

The young human let a sigh of his own before reaching out and grabbing the elf's arm. Even though he couldn't see him, Legolas could just picture the look of annoyed pity on his friend's face as the Ranger spoke. 

"Nothing is hopeless, Legolas, until you give up all hope. Are you going to tell me that you, son of King Thranduil, is going to just surrender without even a fight? Are you really such a coward?"

Legolas pulled away from Aragorn's grasp and glared in the general direction of the human. 

"You have no right to call me a coward. You do not know what it is like not to be able to see anything except darkness. Do not speak of things which you do not understand."

**********

Aragorn had felt a wave of guilt rush over him the moment the words had left his mouth, but the instant that Legolas spoke it faded away. Before he could stop himself, the young human let his temper take control of his speech. 

"Maybe I would understand these things a little more clearly if a certain elf would stop feeling sorry for himself and let someone come near him."

Legolas' unseeing eyes flashed with anger as he glared at Aragorn. When he spoke, his words sounded forced. 

"Would a certain human mind telling me just what he means by that?"

The young Ranger clenched his fists as he answered the prince's question, making sure that the extreme irritation that he was feeling was projected in his voice. 

"What that mean, Prince Legolas, is that you are still pushing anyone who comes near you away. I thought that you were starting to let me, and my family, help you--but apparently I was mistaken. I seems that you are too busy wallowing in self-pity to let us give you assistance when it is needed."

Raw anger pulsed through Legolas' blood, and he struggled to keep his face emotionless. Without saying a word, he turned away from Aragorn and started walking in the opposite direction. A grim smile came to his face as the human's voice suddenly came from behind him, with an extremely annoyed ring to it. 

"And where are you going?"

The elven prince didn't even bother to turn his head towards the human as he continued walking away. 

"Since I am, as you put it, pushing everyone away from me, then I am going somewhere where I can be alone--without having to tolerate your pity."  


Aragorn let out a quiet sigh, his anger quickly fading as he watched the elf walk away--stumbling slightly as his feet caught on rocks and other objects that were hidden from his sight. His voice shook slightly as he quietly whispered the thought that was running through his mind. 

"What do you have to be so stubborn?"

**********

Legolas heard his friend's quiet words, but he didn't acknowledge them. Still, a slight pang of guilt ran through him as he kept moving away from the human. He knew that neither of them had truly meant what they had said, and that they were both already regretting their hasty words. His pride would not let him admit to that right then though. And apparently Aragorn was having the same problem.

An almost silent sigh escaped from Legolas' lips as he kept walking, and for just a moment he considered turning back. Almost as soon as the though entered his mind, however, it faded. Even though he knew that his friend hadn't meant what he had said, the sting of his words needed time to fade before they talked again.

**********

After Legolas had moved out of his sight, Aragorn let out a tired sigh before dropping down to sit on the ground. He already regretted losing his temper with Legolas, and he had half a mind to go after his friend to apologize. His pride was fighting against him though.

He still wasn't certain how the argument had started in the first place. One minute everything had been fine, and then the next... Aragorn shook his head slightly as he let out another sigh. Both of them were to blame, that was one thing he was certain of.

The young Ranger sat there for several minutes, trying to decide whether he should go after his friend or not. Aragorn knew very well that Legolas would feel like he thought he was hopeless, but he also knew that--no matter how well the elven prince knew the surrounding land--there was still the risk that he would somehow manage to get himself hurt.

Almost immediately the young human had made up his mind, and he was already pushing himself to his feet when he sensed a sudden change take place around him. His eyes darted towards the nearby trees, and a dark sense of foreboding suddenly filled him. There were orcs about, he could feel them.

Aragorn's eyes darted in the direction that Legolas had went in, and without making a sound he suddenly started running. Before he could make it more than a few feet, however, he heard the sound of a whistling arrow and felt a sharp pain suddenly run through his left shoulder. He stumbled just a bit, and in that instant they were upon him. He heard the familiar sound of orc cries just as something hit him in the back of the head. Without warning, he felt his mind slip into the bitter darkness of unconsciousness.


	7. Do Not Look Into His Eyes

Author's Note: See first chapter for all other story information.

**********

As the sound of orcs suddenly caught his attention, Legolas quickly moved in the direction of the forest. As soon as he reached the edge, the elf agilely swung himself up into the branches of the first tree he came to. All thoughts of his earlier argument with Aragorn were pushed out of his mind as he listened to the not-so-distant cries.

A tremor of worry went through him as he let his mind move over the surrounding land. Even without being able to see, Legolas knew that the orc cries he heard were coming from somewhere very close to where he and Aragorn had parted company. The elven prince let up a quick prayer that his friend was safe before quickly, yet carefully, moving in the opposite direction. He knew very well that he would be of no help in fighting the foul creatures, if it came to that, but he would be able to warn Lord Elrond that they were nearby.

Legolas paused for a moment, a thought suddenly passing through his mind. Why exactly would orcs be there, so near to Rivendell? Surely they weren't planning on attacking--even creatures as dim-witted as they would know better than to attack elves in their own home. But what were they up to then?

As he pondered this, the almost-healed cut on the elf's head suddenly--without warning--felt as if were on fire. Legolas let out a quiet moan as he tried not to let go of the branch he was gripping. Blinking back the tears that had came to his eyes because of the sudden pain, he carefully let himself drop from the low tree limb down to the ground, where he immediately fell to his knees.

Almost as if in a dream, he saw--in his mind--four orcs standing around him. He could hear their cruel words, though they sounded faded, as if they were coming from faraway.

__

"What is an elf doing here? Maybe they suspect..."

"No, Elrond would have sent more."

"Even if they know, the master will deal with them."  


Legolas grimaced slightly as the words echoed through his aching head. This was a memory, he was sure of it. When was it from though? The night that he had lost his sight? Why couldn't he remember? 

__

"...look... into his eyes. The elves... a chance. He will... Rivendell."

Without warning, the pain quickly faded away--leaving Legolas on his knees, breathing heavily and clutching his head. He knelt that way for a moment, his mind racing over what had just came so suddenly back into his memory. Without even realizing it, he quietly whispered the words that still echoed through his mind. 

"They must look straight into his eyes. The elves will not stand a chance. He will destroy Rivendell."

Confusion shone in the elven prince's eyes as he struggled to pull his mind back into the present. Legolas was still uncertain about what had just happened, but he knew that he had to let Elrond know what he had heard--and quickly. Even though he didn't understand why, he felt a sense of dark premonition moving swiftly through him. Whatever it was that the orcs had called 'master,' there was one thing that he... it was pure evil.

**********

The first thing that Aragorn noticed as his mind slowly returned to consciousness was the fact that his entire left arm was throbbin with pain. He tried to open his eyes, but they felt as if they were weighted down. After a few failed attempts, however, he managed to force them to open just a crack... and immediately wished that he hadn't.

There were orcs all around him, and, judging by the way the creatures were outfitted, they were preparing for battle. And the young Ranger knew very well that, if they were planning battle, it would be the elves of Rivendell that they would attack. Quietly, trying not to draw attention to himself, he moved slightly so as to check his condition. He left arm was covered in blood, but the arrow that had pierced his shoulder had been removed while he was unconscious. It didn't appear to have been poisoned, but Aragorn had learned long ago that you could never be certain until someone had checked it. For someone to that, however, would require him getting free--which, at the moment, seemed quite unlikely.

After he was certain that his arm wasn't damaged too severely, Aragorn moved his attention on to the rest of his body. His legs were tied together with a course rope, not very tightly though--just enough to give him difficulty. His hands, however, were an entirely different story. They were bound behind him, the ropes cutting into his skin every time that he moved. 

He felt something warm and sticky trickle, and a grim expression appeared on his face as he recognized it as blood. Apparently whatever had caused him to fall into unconsciousness hadn't just been a bump on the head. Knowing the orcs, it had probably been a... Aragorn quickly pulled his mind back to the present as a large orc stepped in front of him. 

"So, the human is awake."

Aragorn's eyes darted up and down the orc, studying the creature carefully. It was larger than most of the others that were gathered, and--for some reason--it seemed faintly familiar to him. He suddenly caught sight of the broad sword hanging at the creature's side, and his eyes narrowed slightly in recognition. 

For just an instant, his mind flashed back to a night a little over a month earlier, when he had seen that same sword. Without meaning to, the memory of Legolas laying barely conscious, blood trickling down his face, flashed in his mind. Aragorn's mind was drawn back to the present though, as the orc let out a low cackle. 

"Do you remember me, human?"

Once again, the Ranger's mind flashed back to the night that Legolas had lost his sight. There had been four orcs there, but he had only killed three. The largest of them, which he assumed was the leader, had gotten away because he had been preoccupied with saving his friend's life instead of chasing after it. 

"I should have killed you then."

The orc let out another cackle, but Aragorn couldn't help but notice a slight hint of worry in the creature's yellow eyes. 

"So the elf died, did it? What a pity. Was it a friend of yours?"

Aragorn bit back a cry of pain as he twisted his sore and aching body so that he was looking straight at the orc. 

"Yes, **he **is my friend. And no, he did not die. It takes more than a mere scratch to..."

He trailed off, confusion shining in his eyes as he stared at the orc in front of him. As soon as the words, "he did not die," had left Aragorn's mouth, a look of fear appeared on the orc's face, and the creature was now letting his gaze drift fearfully around. As the young human watched in surprise, the orc turned and suddenly started heading away from him. It didn't make it very far, however.

A bright flash of light blinded Aragorn for a moment, and he quickly turned his eyes away. An ear-splitting cry of agony cut through the air, and the Ranger turned his gaze back towards the orc as soon as the light faded--and he immediately felt a wave of nausea sweep through him.

The orc was still there--or at least what was left of it was. The creature had been, literally, torn apart. For a moment the other orcs stood still, appearing to be just as surprised as Aragorn was. After several seconds, however, they seemed to get over their shock--or perhaps they just couldn't pass up the chance for a meal.

Aragorn turned away from the scene before him, a grimace crossing his bloodied face. A few moments later though, his curiosity took hold of him, and the young human let his gaze drift over the carnage in search of the source of the light he had seen. He quickly saw what he was searching for, and an expression of terror rapidly appeared on his young face.

**********

Legolas smiled weakly as he gratefully accepted the glass of water that Elrohir had handed him. He had made it back to Rivendell less than a half hour earlier and had only just finished telling Elrond and the twins what had happened. So far, Elrond had not said a word--other than to convince his sons not to go out and try to find the wayward Estel--and that was starting to worry the prince considerably.

He took a few sips of water before putting the glass to the side and letting his eyes drift somewhat in the direction of the lord of Imladris. There was a worried look shining in them, and for a moment Legolas considered breaking the silence that had settled over the room to ask just what the information he had passed on meant. Before he could though, Elladan's voice suddenly sounded, startling him just a bit. 

"Do you know what any of this means, Ada?"  


Elrond didn't answer for a moment, and the room seemed to gain a feeling of dark foreboding. After a few seconds though, his quiet voice broke the eerie silence. 

"I am truly afraid that I do."

**********

"What Legolas has told us brought back memories of a story, a legend, about a creature of darkness. It was merely called Morion, Dark One, and it had a great power over elves, though I am not certain what that power was. In fact, I do not know even what the creature, Morion, itself was."

Elrond paused for a moment, a troubled look on his ageless face. Before he could start speaking again, Elladan gave him a curious look. 

"If all you know about this creature is from a legend, Ada, then why are you so certain that it is what is leading the orcs?"

The lord of Rivendell sighed quietly before turning towards Legolas. 

"They must look straight into his eyes. That is what you heard the orcs say, is it not?"

The elven prince nodded slightly, a look of confusion shining in his unseeing eyes. At that, Elrond turned towards his older son. 

"That is why. Although I do not know why, there was warning... Do not look into his eyes. Still, I truly hope that I am wrong about this, though I feel that we will soon find out."

As soon as those words left his lips, Elrond turned his gaze towards the open balcony. Both Elladan and Elrohir followed suit, and almost immediately grim expressions appeared on their faces. Trying his best to focus his hearing, Legolas closed his eyes for a moment. Several seconds later, however, they were both open, and he was quickly on his feet. 

"Orcs."  


**********

Aragorn watched in horror and shock as the orcs descended upon his home. How had they found it so quickly? Even as he silently asked that question, a small voice in his head laughed. 'You know very well how they found it so quickly.'

The young human let his gaze drop away from the scene in front of him, and quickly turned his attention to untying the ropes that were bound tightly around his wrists. The orcs had brought him with them until they had reached a place where he would be able to see everything that happened, then they had tightened his bindings and left him here. For now.

A few tears streamed down his face as he listened to the sounds coming from below him. He didn't want to see what was happening--he didn't have to see what was happening. The creature, or demon, or whatever Morion was had made sure that his prisoner knew exactly what was planned for his friends and family. 

__

"These worthless orcs will provide enough of a distraction for me to get close, and then the elves will stand no chance. All they have to do, my naive human, is to look into my eyes--and then they will be mine."

Aragorn shivered slightly as he remembered those horrible red eyes, and he quickly forced his mind to focus on the task at hand. Before he could do a thing, he had to get the blasted ropes off of him.

**********

There was a grim smile on Elrond's face as he tossed swords to both of his sons and then grabbed another one for himself. He would be damned if he let Rivendell fall without a fight. A sudden thought crossed his mind though, and he swiftly turned his attention to Legolas. The elven prince had twin daggers hanging at his sides, and he was gripping his bow tightly. It was obvious that he was willing to fight--even though he knew he would not be of much help. But still... 

"Legolas, I assume that my sons have introduced you to the servants' hallways?"

Legolas turned his head towards Elrond, a smoldering look shining in his eyes. 

"Yes, they have. However, if you are insinuating that you want me to run..."

Elrond gave the younger elf a reassuring smile--though he knew it wasn't seen--but it didn't quite reach his dark eyes. 

"Yes, I am. But not for the reason that you assume. Even if I am wrong, and what we are going against is not Morion, the orcs you heard still said 'they must look straight into his eyes.' For you..."

He trailed off as a look of understanding slowly appeared in Legolas' silvery eyes. The elven prince nodded slightly as he turned his head so that he was looking at the other three beings in the room.

"Tenna enomentiëlva." [i]

Without saying another word, he turned towards the door and was gone. As soon as he had left, Elrond let his eyes close for just a moment. Mere seconds later, however, they were open and shining with alertness. As the sound of orcs suddenly rang in the garden below, he turned towards Elladan and Elrohir. 

"Annali len." [ii]

**********

[i] Until we meet again.

[ii] Good luck.


	8. Worthless Creatures

Author's Note: See first chapter for all other story information.

**********

Legolas stumbled slightly as he hurried through the hallway that was used mainly by servants. He had yet to run into anyone else, and worry had started to creep through him. Although the sound of orcs had faded behind him, he could still sense their presence nearby. Without warning, the elven prince came to a halt and strained his ears. He could have sworn that he had heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming from somewhere behind him.

A hint of fear shone in his eyes, but Legolas quickly pushed it aside. Now that he had stopped moving, the footsteps behind him were clear and loud. He took a deep breath before letting his right hand drift down to his side, where it gently grasped the dagger that was hanging there. No elf would make that much noise.

Quickly, making sure not to make any more sound that was necessary, Legolas moved closer to the wall. The twins had introduced him to these passageways within days of meeting him, back when the three of them had been barely more than children. Because of that, he knew them like the back of his hand. 'Which was, in this case, a good thing,' he thought with a wry grin.

Without even thinking about it, Legolas followed the passage around a sharp bend and immediately turned around. His hand gripped the dagger tightly as he took a few shallow breaths. If there was an orc, or worse, behind him, he could be ready--that was one thing he was sure of.

**********

Aragorn let out a sigh of relief as the rope that had tightly bound his hands finally fell off of them. The sigh speedily turned into a moan, however, as blood suddenly rushed back to his hands. Pain shot through them as their feeling returned, and he was surprised to see several streams of blood trickling from his raw and aching wrists. After a few moments though, the young man quickly pushed the pain from his mind and instead focused on the rope that was loosely wrapped around his ankles.

Flinching slightly as he flexed the tightened muscles in his hands, Aragorn started to work on the ropes that bound his feet. Surprisingly, they gave way quite easily--as if the orcs that had tied them had not expected him to even have a chance to untie them. _Just like an orc. _

"Yes, just like an orc."  


Before he could stop it, a startled gasp sprang from Aragorn's lips. Without any warning, a sense of evil had rushed upon him just moments before a voice had rang out behind him. Even though he knew who the voice belonged to, he couldn't help but turn his head around so that he could see the creature, Morion. As he turned, the young man forced all traces of pain and worry out of his eyes, so that there was nothing but determination shining in them by the time he was completely turning around.

Almost as if he knew exactly what Aragorn was doing, Morion suddenly let out a cold laugh. The sound of it sent shivers down the Ranger's back, and he struggled for a moment to keep his face expressionless. After a few seconds, however, the evil that had sprang from Morion's laughter faded away. Before he could even completely understand what was going on, though, Morion spoke again. 

"I knew that you were hiding something, human, but I was not able to sense what. Now that I know your secret, though, Aragorn son of Arathorn, I can understand why I was not able to pull the truth from you."

Morion smiled coldly at the utterly shocked expression that had appeared on the young human's face. 

"Yes, I know exactly who you are, heir of Isildur. Or perhaps you prefer Estel, adopted son of Elrond Peredil. Either way, my plans for you have changed considerably. In fact, you might..."

His words were cut off as one of the orc leaders suddenly appeared near them. It gave Aragorn a hungry look before turning towards Morion. 

"All of the elves are under your control."

It paused for a moment, a sneer crossing its ugly face before continuing. 

"We did as you wished and did not kill any of them."

Aragorn felt his blood turn cold at the orc's words, and he swiftly turned his gaze back towards Rivendell. As his eyes traveled over his home though, he saw nothing but orcs--there were no elves in sight. Angry tears welled up in his eyes as he turned his head back towards Morion, and several curses were on the tip of his tongue before he suddenly bit them back.

There was an evil glint in Morion's red eyes, and Aragorn couldn't help but notice that they were focused on the orc leader. A sneer crossed his face, if you could call it a face, and quiet words--spoken in a tongue unknown to the young man--suddenly sprang from the dark creature's mouth.

Aragorn instinctively closed his eyes and turned his head away. He heard the orc let out a strangled scream, which abruptly ended just moments before something warm and slimy hit him in the face and slowly slid down to the ground. A grimace crossed his young face as he opened his eyes and looked down at what appeared to be part of the orc's entrails laying beside him, but it faded away rather quickly as his eyes widened in both surprise and shock. Mere seconds after the ill-fated orc behind him had stopped screaming, the entire valley below him had practically started to shake with the horrified cries of orcs.

As the cries suddenly stopped, Aragorn turned his head back towards Morion in shock. The creature before him seemed to have grown in height, and his distorted face appeared even more so as it twisted into a cruel smirk. 

"They really were quite worthless creatures."  


**********

Legolas let out a surprised hasp as a cry of agony suddenly rang through the hallway, ending abruptly with a quiet popping sound--barely even distinguishable with his heightened hearing. He stood there for a moment, straining his ears for any more sounds. After it became apparent that there was no longer anything behind him, he gripped his dagger a little more tightly and slowly started moving in the direction that he had came.

A few minutes later, Legolas came to a sudden stop--there was a dark, almost metallic smell in the air around him. Blood. Orc blood. He moved gingerly forwards, listening carefully for any sign that something was amiss. He could hear a quiet dripping coming from somewhere nearby, and a slight tremor of uncertainty went up his spine. Even though he couldn't see what had happened, he knew that it had been something horrible.

Without warning, Legolas' left foot slid out from under him, and the elven prince suddenly found himself sprawled out on the floor. He let out a quiet curse as he suddenly realized that his right hand was no longer gripping his dagger. He pulled himself to his knees and slowly moved his hands along the ground around him. He stopped as his hand suddenly touched something wet and slightly warm laying nearby.

Trying his best not to gag, Legolas quickly pulled his hand away. He didn't know exactly what had happened, but it was apparent to him that the orc which had been following him was dead. As a grimace crossed his fair face, the blond elf carefully reached in the other direction--and promptly found his dagger.

Legolas flinched slightly as he felt the dagger's blade cut into his hand, and he muttered a few quiet curses as he picked it up and hung it once again at his side. He ripped a thin piece of cloth from his cloak and quickly made a makeshift bandage before pulling himself to his feet.

He stood there for a moment, his unseeing eyes moving from left to right, trying to decide which way he should go. After several minutes, Legolas let a weak smile come to his face as he turned and headed back in the direction that he had originally been going. If he wasn't mistaken, the hall branched off not very far away--and one of those branches let right to the weapons room.

**********

Aragorn stumbled slightly as Morion yanked on the rope that was once again tied around his hands. He glared at him for a moment before letting his eyes once again drift around him. They were in Rivendell, the place that he had called home since he was barely more than a babe, but it was almost unrecognizable to him.

The remains of orcs were spread everywhere, and the entire place seemed to reek of death. That wasn't the worst part for Aragorn though. The young man had to blink back tears as he caught sight of a very familiar face--Erestor. That was the hardest part, seeing elves that he had known since childhood, yet knowing that they weren't truly there. 

As Erestor walked by the two of them, Aragorn quickly let his gaze move upwards so that he was looking into the elf's eyes. A quiet sigh escaped him almost immediately though, and he quickly glanced away. There was a blank look in the older being's eyes, and the light that had shined in them for as long as the young Ranger could remember had disappeared.

Without warning, a feeling of total helplessness washed over Aragorn, and quiet laughter suddenly burst from his lips. He felt the rope around his wrists loosen slightly as Morion turned towards him, but the young man didn't do a thing. His laughter sounded fake, forced even, but he couldn't seem to control it. Before he could even comprehend what was happening, he dropped to knees as his laugh quickly gained a faint edge of hysteria to it.

Aragorn knelt there for a moment, his entire body shaking with laughter. At the same time, however, tears were streaming down his face. Mentally he cursed his weakness, and he struggled to bring himself back under control, but no matter how hard he tried nothing seemed to work.

After several minutes, the young Ranger heard what sounded like a sigh of disgust coming from Morion. Without any warning, Aragorn felt something heavy strike his still-aching arm. His laughter abruptly changed into a faint moan of pain as the human grabbed his shoulder and took a few shaky breaths.

The young man's face was pale and tear-streaked, yet his eyes still shone brightly with unshed tears. For a few moments, Aragorn let his gaze stay focused on the ground, his eyes trying to blink away the tears that threatened to spill down his face. His attention was once again drawn to Morion, however, as the sound of quiet, yet pitiless, laughter reached his ears.

With an expression of uncertainty adorning his face, the Ranger once again let his gaze focus on his captor. Morion's red eyes were shining with cruelty, but they weren't staring at Aragorn. Instead, they were gazing at something off to the young man's side. 

"So the elvish name that you were given is Estel? I wonder whether they truly chose the correct name for you."

Even though his mind was screaming at him to ignore Morion's bait, Aragorn couldn't help but let his gaze drift over to his side. He didn't want to know what was there, and yet - deep down--he did. As soon as his eyes found their target, however, he couldn't help but let out a quiet sob. Standing there, their silver eyes unusually dull and expressionless, were his adopted father and brothers. The young human took a few shaky breaths, and he blinked back the tears that had suddenly sprang to his eyes.

Morion let out a cruel laugh before yanking the rope the rope that was around Aragorn's wrists. The young man was jerked to his knees, and he bit back a cry as his left shoulder strained against his bindings. Within moments, darkness had started to claw at the edge of his vision, and he desperately struggled to push it away from him. 

"How the powerful have fallen..."

Still fighting to stay conscious, Aragorn let his eyes moved towards Morion's position. He had walked over to where Elrond and the twins were standing and was looking at them with an expression of loathing on his twisted face. 

"Almost as worthless as the orcs... Bow down to me."

The young Ranger watched in dismay, hoping with all his might that his father and brothers would fight against Morion's control. His hopes were quickly dashed, however, as both Elladan and Elrohir slowly knelt down in front of the dark being. A faint glimmer of hope sprang up inside of him though, as Elrond's eyes moved upwards to meet his. A light seemed to suddenly shine in his adopted father's eyes for just a moment, before it faded away as the lord of Rivendell slowly knelt down in front of Morion. 

Before Aragorn had a chance to ponder over what had just occurred, the image in front of him seemed to blur before his eyes. As the young human watched in shock, Morion's appearance seemed to change for just a moment. In his eyes, the scarred face suddenly seemed to become bright and fair; the short, dull-colored hair appeared long and gleaming. His eyes, instead of being red and shining with cruelty, seemed to be grey and full of life. He appeared to be dressed in a long, white robe, contrasting sharply with a bright blue amulet that was hanging around his neck. And then, for just a moment, the young human saw Morion's ears. His pointed ears.

Aragorn blinked his eyes in shock, and the vision suddenly faded away. The young man kept staring at the scene in front of him though, surprise running through his blood. It couldn't be--it wasn't possible. But, as his eyes drifted over his captor, he knew that it was true. Morion was wearing the same blue amulet that he had seen in his vision, and there was something very familiar in the way that he stood over Elrond, Elladan, and Elrohir. Something almost elf-like.

**********

Glorfindel pushed several blond strands out of his face before letting his gaze drift in the direction of Imladris. For the last several hours, he had felt a sense of deep foreboding moving through him, and it was only becoming stronger and stronger. A feeling of worry was slowly growing in him, and he was starting to seriously consider not stopping for the night. If there was nothing wrong, then his friends might give him some grief--but if there was something amiss...

A determined expression appeared on his ageless face, and the blond-haired elf let his eyes drift once more in the direction of his home. It might truly be nothing, but he usually would not feel so worried unless there was something wrong. And if there truly was something amiss in Rivendell, that would mean that something had happened to Elrond.

Glorfindel's blue eyes hardened, and he tightened the grip on his horse. Then, a tremor of apprehension moving up his spine, he quickly pushed the horse forwards. Just in case.

**********

Legolas quietly shut the door to the weapon's room behind him before turning and moving down the hallway. He moved slowly and carefully, his right hand reaching out to touch the wall beside him ever so often. His listening was focused, and he tried his best to barely make a sound so that he would be sure to hear anyone approaching.

As he walked, the blond elf let his mind wander ever so slightly. He was not entirely certain what had taken place, but Legolas had a rather good idea. With that in mind, a shiver of worry slowly made its way up his spine. If he was correct in his thinking, then what had happened to Elrond and twins?

Even as he pondered that, another face seemed to suddenly float into his mind. When he and Estel had parted ways, the young human had been in the general location that the orcs had came from. Surprisingly, however, Legolas was not very worried about his friend. Over the last several years, Aragorn had proven to him more than once that he was surprisingly difficult to kill--for some reason, the elven prince did not doubt that it would be the same this time.

The hints of a smile appeared on his fair face, and for a moment Legolas seemed to forget just how grave the situation was. He was quickly brought back to the present, however, when his sensitive hearing suddenly picked up the faintest sound of voices. He abruptly came to a halt and let his right hand drop down to his side, where it gripped the sword that he had gotten from the weapons room.

Legolas stood there for a moment, listening carefully. He could not actually hear the words being spoken, but from the tone of the voice he could guess the speaker's identity--Morion. A grim look slowly started to appear on his face, and the elven prince once again started in the direction of the voice. Before he had taken more than a few steps, however, another voice--quiet and weak, yet still proud--rang out. The blond elf came to a surprised halt, a look of amazement shining in his unseeing eyes. 

"Aragorn."

**********

Aragorn held back a grimace of pain as he tried to move. Morion had brought him inside one of the halls that was used during banquets and then had practically thrown the young human against the wall. Since then, he had managed to pull himself up into a sitting position; however, sharp pains ran through him every time that he tried to move. 

The young man slowly let his gaze drift over to where his father and brothers were standing, their eyes dull and expressionless. A wave of sadness swept over him, and Aragorn quickly looked down. His gaze was brought back upwards rather quickly though, as Morion's cold laughter rang through the room.

Morion was standing at the far end of the room, his cold gaze focused on his human prisoner. Aragorn forced himself to sit up straighter, trying his best to ignore the pain that shot through his entire body. He let his own gaze focus on his captor, and he prepared himself for whatever the creature had planned. To his surprise, however, there was a slight movement **behind **Morion.

Aragorn felt a bolt of shock run through him as he stared at the lithe, blond figure that was standing outside the room, mostly hidden behind a rather large pillar. Legolas. But how? 'Of course, Morion controls elves when they look into his eyes. But since he can't see...'

A grim smile came to the young man's face as a plan quickly formulated in his mind. Raising his voice enough that Legolas would hopefully understand what he was doing, Aragorn let his gaze once more drift towards Morion. 

"You will not win. My father and brothers may be under your control at the moment, but they will break free. I can assure you of that."

Morion let out a short bark of laughter, which sent a chill straight to Aragorn's heart. 

"You are brave, human. Brave, but foolish. Even if they were to break free from my control, which in itself is unlikely, they would quickly be subdued. Remember, they are not the only ones over whom I have power."

**********

Legolas let a relieved smile come to his face as he listened to Estel's voice. So, he had been right about his young friend after all. The smile quickly faded, however, as the human's words suddenly broke through into his mind. It was almost as if...

The blond elf tightened his grip on his sword before taking a small step back into the shadows. Aragorn must have seen him, and he was trying to tell him what was going on. 'So, we were right about Morion being able to control elves--and those who had mostly elven blood. And, apparently, Estel and I are the only ones left in Imladris who are truly free from his control.'

Legolas once again tightened his grip on the sword before slowly turning and starting to move away. There was another hallway which led to the other side of the room, where Aragorn's voice was coming from. If he could get there, then perhaps...

His thoughts were abruptly stopped as a cold, yet familiar, voice suddenly came from behind him. 

"And where do you think you are going, young prince."

Gripping his sword even more tightly than before, Legolas slowly turned around. Perhaps it was better if he wasn't able to see the face of his discoverer. Then maybe it would not hurt as much. 

"Lord Elrond."


	9. A Desperate Plan

Author's Note: See first chapter for all other story information.

**********

Aragorn felt his blood turn to ice as his foster father's question, and Legolas' reply, echoed through the nearly empty banquet hall. He felt a wave of dismay run through his as Morion spun in the direction of Imladris' lord and Mirkwood's youngest prince; however, it quickly turned to rage as a devious smirk made its way onto Morion's face. In that moment, the young human forgot about his pain, and the fact that his wrists were still loosely bound with rope meant nothing to him. All that he knew was that his friend was in trouble, and he had a chance to help him.

Keeping his eyes focused on Legolas, who was obviously trying to find a way to help him that didn't involve fighting Lord Elrond, Aragorn yanked his arms apart--splitting the rope that bound them. Fighting against the pain that was shooting up his arms, the young Ranger leapt to his feet--and, before he was even aware of his movement, he was running in the direction of Legolas and his father. 

"Legolas, throw me a weapon!"

The blond elf turned his head slightly in the direction of Aragorn's voce before grabbing the sword he had hung at his side and sliding it across the floor towards him. Then, in one fluid movement, Legolas ducked past Elrond and started in the direction that his friend's voice had came from. Before he had even made it two steps, however, he felt a cold blade press against his throat. His unseeing eyes widened just a bit as the lord of Imladris' voice rang out from behind him. 

"You never answered me, young one."

**********

Glorfindel pushed his horse just a little bit harder, urging it to move faster. The sense of foreboding he had felt earlier had felt only had only grown stronger as he moved towards Rivendell, and it was now mixed in with something else. Something that both sent shivers down his spine and curiosity coursing through his mind. He felt the presence of orcs--but it was vague, distorted even, almost as if what he felt was nothing more than a shadow.

In all of his long years, he was certain that he had never sensed anything like this. Still, in a strange way, it seemed so similar... Almost as if it was a distant memory, long forgotten in the flow of time.

It worried him immensely.

**********

Aragorn scooped the sword off of the ground, his young face once more shining with hope. A smile came to his face as he watched Legolas move past his foster father and start in his direction. If someone didn't know that the blond elf was not able to see, they would have absolutely no idea of that fact. He was moving as speedily and fluidly as he always had before, and the hopelessness that had been more than a little apparent earlier that day had all but disappeared. It was obvious though, that Legolas had no idea that Elrond was moving to intercept him. 

"Le..."

The young man's warning was cut short as he felt the blade of a knife suddenly pressing against his back. Tearing his gaze from his father and best friend, Aragorn quickly turned his attention to his attacker. Tensing his muscles ever so slightly, the Ranger quickly moved forwards, pulling his sword into a defensive position as he moved. Without even pausing, he pivoted around and was already starting to thrust his sword forwards before he saw the face of his attacker--Elladan.

With a startled gasp, the young man quickly turned his sword so that the broad side was aimed at his brother. Letting out a silent prayer, Aragorn--in one swift movement--caught his adopted brother across the head with the dull side of his blade. Then, without pausing, Aragorn, stepped backwards and lifted his sword up so that it was aimed at his brother once more. 

"Please do not force me to harm you."

Elladan stood there a moment, not moving even an inch, an expression on his face that could almost be described as puzzled. The dullness faded from his eyes, leaving them bright and shining with confusion. He gently put a hand up to his head, frowning slightly as it came in contact with a small trickle of blood. Then, his uncertainty obvious to the young Ranger, he turned his attention towards him. 

"Es... Estel?"

Aragorn felt a wave of shocked relief shoot through his body as he stared at his foster brother. His sword dropped slightly, but he still kept it aimed at the half-elf. 

"Elladan?"

The older twin gave him a weak smile, but his grey eyes were focused on the sword that was still aimed at him. He stared at it for a moment before letting his gaze move around the room, ending up on Elrond and Legolas--and Morion, who was watching the two of them in apparent merriment. Lowering his voice so that it was barely more than a whisper, Elladan turned his eyes back to his foster brother. 

"What is going on?"

**********

Legolas felt a tremor of worry go through him as a sudden chill seemed to drift in his direction. He was already standing as still as possible, silently hoping that all of this was nothing more than a dream he would soon wake up from. The pain he was feeling from the knife held at his throat, however, seemed to make that wish improbable. Those thoughts were quickly seeping from his mind though, as the fierce coldness started to claw at him.

Letting his mind move away from Elrond, Legolas shivered ever so slightly--flinching slightly as it caused the knife's blade to cut his skin ever so slightly. Even though he could not see what was happening, the elven prince knew, deep inside, where the chill he felt was coming from. Morion had turned his attention away from Aragorn and was now focusing it on him.

A cold voice, full of loathing, suddenly sounded from in front of him. 

"Turn the child's eyes towards me."  


Legolas felt the sharp blade move from his throat, but two hands firmly grasped his shoulders before he even had a chance to move. He struggled against Elrond's hold, but it was to no avail. 

"Well, well... This is interesting. I recognize your face, child. You are one of Thranduil's, am I not correct? Perhaps his youngest. Still, that is no matter to myself. Bow to me."  


The blond elf turned his head in the sound of Morion's voice, his eyes burning with hate. 

"I prefer standing."

Though he could not see it, Legolas could feel the surprise that was emanating from Morion. However, he was not prepared for the cold hand that reached out and grasped the side of his head, twisting his face so that his eyes were staring directly at the dark being. 

"Now, this is a surprising twist. These eyes cannot see me, and therefore they cannot be controlled. However, they still might be able to be... broken."  


Even though he was still held tightly in place by Elrond's grip, Legolas still managed to appear every bit the prince he was as he coldly replied to Morion's words. 

"I would like to see you try."  


**********

Elladan stared at Aragorn in shock, his eyes widening as the young human nodded slightly. "

"Yes, it is true. All of it."

His dark eyes moved to the far side of them room, where the focused in on the events that were transpiring. Without moving his gaze from them, he quietly whispered to his brother. 

"Morion hasn't noticed you yet. If he had, he would have already placed you back under his control. I want you to sneak out through the servants' doorway and make your way to the stables. Get a fast horse, and..."  


A firm hand grabbed his shoulder, pulling his head back towards the older being. 

"I am not going to run away while my home--my family--is like this. You know me better than that, Estel."

Aragorn nodded slightly, but a determined expression still shined in his eyes. 

"I know, and I would never ask you to run away. However, Glorfindel should be returning at any time--and if nothing else, he deserves to be warned. I am sure that, between the two of you, a plan to get Imladris and its people out of this mess will soon emerge."  


For a moment, the half-elf's face was twisted with indecision. After a few moments of silent dispute, however, his eyes lifted to meet Aragorn's, and an exasperated sigh escaped Elladan's lips. 

"If we live through this, remind me to strangle you."  


Aragorn nodded slightly as his foster brother turned away and stealthily started towards a nearby doorway. A sad expression appeared on the young man's face as he watched Elladan move away from him. 

"Annali len. May the Valar protect you--and all of us."

The moment that Elladan disappeared through one of the room's partly hidden doorways, the young Ranger gripped his sword tightly. Without saying a word, he lifted it as in battle and started moving towards Morion as quickly as his feet would carry him.

**********

Morion slowly fingered a rather large dagger that was hanging at his side, a sadistic expression appearing on his scarred face. Then, in a movement as swift as lightning, he pulled the cruel weapon from its sheath and sliced it across Legolas' chest.

The blond elf let out a sharp gasp of pain at the unexpected action, and his entire body jerked involuntarily. The dagger's blade had barely even broken skin, leaving nothing more than a tear in his shirt and a long scratch across his chest; however, he had not been expecting the sudden move.

Before Legolas could truly even comprehend what was happening, he felt the cold blade of the dagger suddenly press itself against his chest. The blond elf slowly let his eyes close, a feeling of immense hopelessness suddenly overwhelming him. He truly was helpless without his eyesight. No matter what Aragorn had said, it was impossible for him to... Aragorn!

Legolas' eyes flew open as realization flooded through him. He had slid the sword against the floor, towards the young human's position. Then he had heard the clang of metal, followed by Elladan's voice... Judging by the way Morion was acting at the moment, it was obvious that he was certain that Aragorn had been taken care of. However, there had been no sounds of fighting from where they had been.

His eyes narrowing ever so slightly, Legolas focused his hearing. The sound of quickly moving footsteps, barely making a sound yet still too loud to belong to an elf, sent a wave of relief shooting through him. With a smirk that could almost be considered cocky, he let his eyes drift so that they were gazing at what he hoped was Morion's face. 

"You are going to be defeated. I can assure you of that."  


Morion let out a pitiless laugh at his words, and Legolas couldn't help but grimace slightly as the blade pushed against his chest even harder. 

"I do not believe that you are in a position to tell me that I will fail, child. You are the only elf in Imladris not under my control--and any others who try to defeat me will merely become slaves themselves. What is left to stand against me?"

A quiet voice suddenly sounded behind him, a single word springing from Aragorn's young lips. 

"Me."  


Before Morion even had a chance to react, the young human pressed his sword through his back--a cold expression shining in his usually kind eyes. 

"You should have listened to Legolas."

**********

Elladan pushed the horse he had borrowed as hard as he could, forcing it to move past its limits. Usually he would not even think about pushing the creature this hard, but fear and worry for his home and family urged him forwards. As he went past the final boundaries of Rivendell, he let his gaze move back towards his home once more.

A pang of regret ran through him, and Elladan quickly turned his eyes away. Even though he knew that Estel was correct in his thinking, that he would do the most good by getting away while he could, it still didn't mean that he liked the idea. In truth, he would much rather be there beside his foster brother, fighting for the freedom of Imladris. _But would you truly be able to fight against your own family? Your father? Your twin?_

Though the words he heard in his head sounded like his own voice, he couldn't help but think that they sounded more like something Elrohir would say rather than himself. As that though crossed his mind, a sudden thought hit him. Where exactly was his twin brother?

**********

Aragorn wasn't sure what he had expected Morion to do, but he was fairly certain that laughing had not even crossed his mind. That was, however, exactly what the dark being was doing. The laughter that sprang from his cruel lips did not seem to be full of mirth though. Instead, it was almost as if he knew something that the young human did not and was merely letting him know that he was missing some of the facts.

The young man pulled his sword from Morion's body, a twinge of relief shooting through him when he saw the blood that dripped from it. With his cruel laughter still echoing throughout the room, however, Aragorn was careful to stay cautious. Even so, he was not entirely prepared for Morion to suddenly spin around, a cruel-looking dagger in his hand.

Moving without conscious thought, the young Ranger ducked away from the sharp blade. His own sword sliced through the air again, cutting into Morion's chest. Before he had a chance to take another swipe, however, the dark being let out a cruel laugh. 

"If I was you, child, I would not attempt that. It would be quite detrimental to the health of your friend, not to mention your 'family'."

Aragorn froze as his attention was brought back to Legolas, who was still held tightly in Elrond's grip, a sharp blade once again held at his throat. Morion smiled cruelly before letting his horrid eyes focus on something behind the young human. 

"You do have seem to possess courage, though it very possibly could be foolishness. Perhaps I should ask your brother?"

An expression of horrified understanding appeared on Aragorn's face as he momentarily glanced behind him. Elrohir was standing there, a sword held tightly in his hand and a blank expression on his usually attentive face. 

"You cannot kill me, human. But I can kill you."

Tearing his eyes away from his brother, Aragorn turned his head back towards Morion. Fury raged in his eyes as he gazed at the creature, but he kept his voice calm as he glanced at the elven prince that was still held tightly in his the grip of his adopted father. 

"Legolas, do you remember the trick that my brothers played on us a few months after we had met? When we had only just returned to Imladris?"

Morion's eyes were full of suspicion as he turned towards the young Ranger, though a cruel smile appeared on his face when Aragorn noticed that the blood from his wounds barely flowing any longer. His attention was brought back to Legolas, however, as the blond elf answered his friend's question. 

"I believe that I do, mellon nin."

Smirking slightly at the uncertain expression that was making its way onto Morion's face, Aragorn took in a deep breath. 

"Annali len."  


As soon as the words left his mouth, both the young human and his elven friend reacted. Though Legolas could not see Elrond, he knew where he was standing. With a sudden twist, he managed to escape his grasp long enough to grab one of the weapons that lay forgotten on the floor. Using his hearing to find the position of Imladris' lord, the elven prince reluctantly put himself into a battle stance. 

At the same moment, Aragorn swung his sword in Morion's direction once more. This time, it connected with his chest--sending blood spurting from the wound it inflicted. Morion merely let out another sadistic laugh, however, as he used his own weapon to slice the young human's arm. 

"I have told you before, your weapon will not kill me; however..."

Malice shining in his crimson eyes, Morion let his gaze flicker behind Aragorn. The young man's own eyes widened in understanding, and he barely had time to move before Elrohir's sword swung down precisely where he had been standing. 

"...it will kill him."


	10. Let Me Be Your Eyes

Author's Note: See first chapter for all other story information.

**********

"...it will kill him."

As Morion's words echoed through the hall, Aragorn felt raw anger shoot through him. Before he a chance to act on it, however, he caught a quick movement in the corner of his eye. Letting out a quiet dwarvish curse, he once again moved out from under Elrohir's blade just in time.

The young man's eyes flickered in the direction of Legolas, and he felt a sharp pain shoot through his heart. His friend had put himself into a basic battle stance, but the expression on his face made it clear that he wanted to do anything but fight Elrond.

Before he had a chance to call out to his friend, Aragorn had to once more roll away from the intended path of Elrohir's weapon. As he jumped to his feet, he let his attention once more glance toward Legolas.

"Try to knock him unconscious, Leg..."

His voice trailed off as Elrohir's blade once more cut through the air mere inches from his face, and he was forced to bring his attention back to his own problems. Taking in a deep breath, Aragorn let his sword come up and clash against his adopted brother's blade.

"Please do not force me to harm you, Elrohir."

**********

Legolas took a deep breath as Aragorn's words cut off and were replaced with the sound of clashing metal. Remembering some of the suggestions that had been made over the past few weeks, he let his mind clear so as to focus on his hearing. All he had to do was let his instincts take over...

The sound of metal cutting through air caught his attention, and--without even pausing to think--Legolas instinctively ducked. His breath caught in his throat as he felt Elrond's blade swing over his head, cutting through a few strands of his hair in the process. He could feel his heart pounding beneath his skin, and for a moment he wondered exactly what he was doing. There was nothing he could do, not without his eyesight. He was completely useless, an invalid...

And then he realized what he saying. 

Realization flooded through him, and he felt a cold chill catch hold of his heart. The angry words he had said when he had first returned to Imladris ran through his mind. _I am not helpless! _When he had said those words, he had meant them with all his heart... Yet here he was now, when it mattered, thinking the exact opposite.

"Lle naa belegohtar." [i]

Legolas' voice was no more than a whisper as he spoke, but the words seemed to send life back into him. A determined expression made its way onto his face as he pulled himself to his feet.

"Lle naa curucuar." [ii]

Ignoring the pain that was emanating from the cut across his chest, Legolas let his gaze come up to meet that of Elrond. Though the prince could not see his face, he could picture it in his mind. Even under Morion's power, it was obvious that Rivendell's lord still held much of his fighting ability. And his honor.

Biting his lip slightly, Legolas let his body straighten up. Though the very thought that had made its way into his mind disgusted him, the blonde elf knew that there was no other way. He would have to take Elrond by surprise, do something completely unexpected.

He would have to "cheat", as Elladan and Elrohir would say.

Taking a deep breath, Legolas once more moved into a battle stance. He moved his blade into a fighting position, looking for all the world as if he was preparing to begin an honorable fight to the death. At the last moment, however, he quietly spoke.

"Amin hiraetha, heruamin." [iii]

Praying that he knew what he was doing, Legolas turned his blade onto its side and swung it in the direction of Elrond. There was a dull thud as metal hit flesh, and the lord of Imladris let out a moan and sank to the floor in an instant. For a moment, the elven prince merely stood there, deep worry etched in his face. Then, with trembling hands, he knelt down and moved his hand over Elrond's neck.

The blonde elf let out a relieved sigh as his trembling fingers quickly found a pulse, and he let himself relax ever so slightly. The sound of blade striking blade coming from the other side of the room kept worry from completely leaving him though, and he couldn't help but let his grip tighten on his blade as he listened carefully for any sound coming from the nearby Morion. 

**********

As Elrohir's blade moved across his cheek, cutting into his skin in a heartbeat, Aragorn quickly came to the conclusion that he needed to disable his foster brother as quickly as possible. Taking a deep breath, the Ranger let his body drop to the floor in a roll, coming up behind his brother a moment later. As the half-elf slowly turned toward his adopted brother, the man let his breath out.

Hoping with all his might that he would be able to draw blood from his brother without seriously injuring him, Aragorn turned his sword and let it fly through the air. At the last moment, he turned the blunt edge outward... and then he prayed.

Aragorn flinched as his blade caught Elrohir across the forehead, and for just a moment he felt a wave of terror shoot through him. When his foster brother did not collapse, however, the worry was quickly replaced with hope.   
  
Elrohir's eyes closed for a moment, and when they opened there was a light shining in them that sent joy rushing through the young man. Just as Elladan's had been earlier, there was confusion shining in his eyes--but that confusion sent relief shooting through Aragorn's entire body.

**********

When Glorfindel caught sight of the quickly approaching rider, he didn't even think. He merely pulled his horse in and grabbed his bow, an arrow in it and aimed at the forthcoming rider within seconds. As the rider came closer, however, the blonde elf let the bow arrow drop from its aim.

He stared for a moment at the dark hair, his gaze quickly moving over the ever-nearing face. When he was fairly certain that he was correct about the rider's identity, he quickly pulled out into clear sight.

"Elladan!"

The half-elf brought his horse to a complete stop in an instant, his eyes filling with unconcealed relief. A thankful sigh escaped his lips as he stared at his close friend and mentor.

"Glorfindel! Am I glad to see you..."

The golden-haired elf stared at Elladan for a moment, his eyes quickly noticing the worry that covered the younger one's face. In a calm voice that hid his own anxiety, Glorfindel quietly questioned him.

"What is wrong?"

********** 

Elrohir stared at him in surprise for a moment, the expression on his face quickly turning into one of uncertainty. In a voice barely more than a whisper, he quietly questioned the young man.

"Estel? What is happening?"

Aragorn stared at his adopted brother for a moment, thousands of thoughts running through his mind, before quickly glancing back towards Morion. The dark being was already moving toward them, a suspicious expression on his twisted face, and he knew that this time there would be no way to get his brother safely out of harm's way.

Biting in lip in frustration, he gave his confused brother a sad smile before quickly bringing the blunt end of his sword up.

"Amin hiraetha." [iv]

Elrohir's eyes widened, a tiny bit of comprehension in them, before Aragorn quickly brought his weapon down across his forehead. The half-elf's eyes immediately closed as he slumped down in unconsciousness, leaving his brother kneeling beside him with a heart that was on the edge of being ripped in two.

Aragorn stared down at the unconscious Elrohir for a moment before letting out a cry that echoed throughout the room. His sword held in front of him, he practically flung himself at the dark creature. Determination filled him, and as he prepared to thrust his sword through Morion he knew--somehow--that this time, he would succeed.

That is, until Morion thrust his own sword through the young man's stomach.

********** 

As Aragorn let out a cry of pain, Legolas felt his head snap in the direction from which the cry had come. His grip on his sword tightened, and he quickly stood back up. A sharp pain shot through his chest as he did, reminding him of the slight cut that had been made by Morion's blade.

"I just put a blade through your friend, young son of Thranduil. Does that make you angry?"

Legolas felt his blood turn to ice, followed moments later by raw anger coursing through him. His voice broke slightly as he spoke.

"Estel?" 

There was a choking sound from the other side of the room, followed by someone taking a raggedy breath. Then Aragorn's voice, weaker but still containing a joking air to it, filled the room. 

"Do not worry, mellonamin. I am fairly certain that this is not the worst wound I have received."

Legolas smiled a bit before letting his hearing show him where Morion stood. Trying not to let the enemy know that he realized where he was, he jokingly called out to his friend.

"Is that supposed to reassure me, edan?"

Aragorn laughed slightly, his voice growing slightly weaker as he spoke again.

"Is is working?"

Legolas let out a quiet laugh, his hands gripping his sword even more tightly. He took a few steps forward, making his way toward Morion. As he stepped in front of the dark being, he could feel the creature's eyes focusing on him.

"Most definitely not."

********** 

Aragorn stared at his friend for a moment, his vision fading in and out of focus ever so slightly. The elven prince was still facing Morion, but it was obvious that he doubted his ability to win a fight against him. A sudden thought ran through the young man's mind, and he forced his voice to raise in volume.

"Let me be your eyes, mellonamin."

Morion's attention quickly shifted toward the human that lay on the floor, and he let out a cold laugh before glancing back at the injured elf. Without making a sound, he let one of the daggers that hung at his side fly toward the prince.

Legolas choked back a cry of pain as the dagger made its way into his flesh, sinking deep into him. He managed to hold back his exclamation, however, and merely reached up to pull the weapon from his shoulder. Biting back several colorful curses, he let Aragorn's voice fill his hearing.

"Trust in yourself, Legolas."

Before Legolas had a chance to respond, he felt a sharp pain shoot across his chest. Letting out a cry of pain, the elven prince suddenly sank down to his knees. Morion's cruel laugh sounded above him, his voice full of dark humor.

"Is this all you can do, young prince? You were a better fighter all those years ago, when you were but a babe lost in the forest of Mirkwood along with Elrond's sons."

Legolas felt his eyes automatically dart toward Morion, even though he knew he would not be able to see the creature's face. Confusion filled the elf's face as he stared up at him.  
  
"How do you know about that?"

Morion merely laughed again before lifting his blade up above Legolas. Smiling cruelly, he prepared to bring his sword down in a fatal blow.

As he watched from across the room, Aragorn forced himself to his feet, a sharp gasp escaping his lips as he did so. The blood pouring from his wound doubled in speed within seconds, but he merely bit back the cry of pain that threatened to escape his lips. Holding his sword in front of him, he made his way toward Morion.

"Why do you not try fighting me?"

Morion paused, his sword still hanging in the air above Legolas. Shrugging slightly, he turned to face the human who was making his way toward him. His cruel smile widened even more as he let his sword move away from the blonde elf.

"Fine then, edan. I will kill you first, if that is what you desire."

Legolas took in a few deep breaths as he listened to Morion move away from him, and bit back most of the questions that were rushing through his mind. When he finally spoke, however, the shock in his voice was evident. 

"Estel?"  


Aragorn took a few shaky breaths, focusing on nothing but staying conscious as a throbbing pain shot through his body. He managed to hide most of his discomfort though as he spoke loud enough for his friend to hear him.

"Worry about nothing but your aim."

Legolas knelt there a moment, bafflement shining in his eyes. Then as realization flooded through him, he nodded and reached for the bow that he had never removed from his back. Breathing heavily, he ignored the pain that was shooting across his chest. Instead, he merely focused on forcing his arms to respond to the commands he was sending them and allow him to use his bow.

As he carefully put an arrow on his bow, he felt a slight bit of panic rush through him. Memories of his attempts to shoot mere days before--had it only been that long?--filled his mind, and uncertainty filled his heart. Before he could convince himself that he could not succeed, however, the sound of Aragorn letting out a quiet cry of pain filled his ears.

Biting his lip slightly, Legolas carefully brought his bow up in front of him. He focused his hearing, letting his other senses take the place of his missing hearing. Praying that nothing had happened to the young human, he waited for his friend to be his eyes.

"Up a little more, Legolas..."  


Aragorn heard his voice fading slightly, and he quickly tried to focus his mind on the present. His eyes glanced toward the blonde elf once more, watching him use his hearing to attempt to aim his bow. Breathing heavily, he twisted his body so as to avoid Morion's blade once more. As long as he kept the creature's attention on him, then he could buy Legolas time. Speaking of which...

"A little bit further..."

Aragorn bit back a scream as a pain unlike anything he had ever felt before shot through his body. He knew that blood was pouring freely from the wound in his stomach, but he couldn't focus on that at the moment. Forcing himself to breath slowly, he let his sword meet Morion's in midair. Then, taking only a moment to glance at Legolas, he knew that it was time.

"Now!"

Legolas let his arrow fly, and as Aragorn watched it flew straight and true. Moments after leaving the elf's bow, it landed exactly on target... making a direct path through Morion's heart.

An instant later, Morion's red eyes widened in pain, and he glanced in shock at Legolas. Hatred seemed to burst from him as his reached up to place his hands around the arrow that was still sticking from his chest.

"This is not over, young one."

With a cry that sent shivers down the spine of both Legolas and Aragorn, Morion pulled the arrow from his heart. His red eyes seemed to shine with hatred as a dark mist began to fill the room. The cry faded away after a few moments, disappearing with the fading fog.

As the mist cleared away, Morion's voice seemed to echo throughout the now empty room. A chill seemed to fill the air for a moment as his words pierced both the human's and elf's minds.

"This is far from over."

**********

Morion's cry echoed throughout the elven haven, and at the sound Rivendell's inhabitants seemed to break free of their imprisonment. Their eyes suddenly cleared, and within seconds each of them had fallen down to his or her knees. As the cry faded away, puzzlement began to fill the air.

Elves slowly pulled themselves to their feet, their eyes moving around them in puzzlement. No one seemed to know what was happening, but each seemed to realize that it was something important.

And as life once more started to go back to normal, Erestor quickly made his way through the halls. If everything was returning to its correct state, then the changes were that at least one member of Elrond's house was in need of medical assistance--and past events seemed to point toward Thranduil's youngest son needing it as well.

********** 

As the world began to swirl around him, Aragorn slowly let his hand down and press itself against the wound in his stomach. When he brought the hand back up, he stared for a moment at the bright red blood that was now staining it. Then, as his legs buckled under him, he managed to let out a quiet chuckle.

"It looks as if we won."

At the sound of a thud coming from behind him, Legolas quickly spun his head in that direction. The action caused a painful wave of dizziness to rush through him though, sending his already aching head into a spin. He froze for a moment, trying to force his weakness to disappear.

"Estel?"

There was no answer from the young human, and Legolas barely restrained himself from letting out a loud moan. With his mind focused directly on the goal, he slowly made his way to where his friend's voice had come from.

"Estel?"

A quiet moan came from the floor directly ahead of him, and then Aragorn's voice--barely more than a whisper--suddenly drifted up toward him.

"Lle ume quel, mellonamin." [v]

Legolas smiled slightly before kneeling down beside the young Ranger. Though he could not see him, he slowly let his hand drift down to feel the man's stomach. Grimacing slightly as he felt the sticky blood that covered it, he slowly started to stand once more... and was surprised to find that his legs refused to hold him.

As another wave of dizziness rushed over him, Legolas felt his strength fade away in an instant. Before he had a chance to even comprehend what was happening, the blonde elf found himself laying on the floor beside his friend. A quiet moan escaped his lips as he slowly gave in to the pain that was now consuming him.

"Legolas?"

Aragorn's voice, sounding as if it was coming from far away, seemed to echo through his mind. Dimly, in the darkest corner of his mind, he realized that the young man's voice sounded far too weak, as if he too was on the brink of unconsciousness. That thought faded, however, as his mind slipped into darkness.

********** 

As a sudden wind blew cut through the still air, Glorfindel quickly brought his horse to a halt. Though he could hear Elladan's voice urging him to hurry, he could not bring himself to move. The vague sense of familiarity had blossomed into something more, something that was tugging at the very edges of his memory...

Elladan's earlier words suddenly sprang back into his mind, and a name that he had not thought of since he was but a mere child all those millennia ago burst into his mind. A startled gasp sprang from his lips as he suddenly pushed his horse into a full gallop--leaving a startled Elladan behind him. As he rose, a single word left his mouth... a name that had almost been forgotten in the stream of time.

"Máramo."

**********

[i] You are a mighty warrior.  
[ii] You are a skillful bowman.  
[iii] I am sorry, my lord.  
[iv] I am sorry.  
[v] You did well, my friend. 


End file.
